Visiting some new exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum

If you've been following me for awhile, you know I love museums and their exhibits. I try to go to every fashion related one in NYC. Also, I know I'm blessed to live in a city with so much access to these events and appreciate every minute of it. Besides missing people, I've missed museum trips! I've most especially missed spending time with my friends.  Thanks Wanett (sewnbrooklyn on IG) for spending the day with me, it was just everything!

Honestly pre-pandemic, I wouldn't go to the Brooklyn Museum, declaring it was too far to travel on public transportation. I've since changed my mind! *LOL*  Sitting at home for 18 months makes you realize the importance of experiencing as much as you can. Y'all I don't drive, so this was a trip totally done on public transportation. An Uber to NJTransit train to NYC, then an Uber to the Museum reverse it to come home...but it was so worth it!

Please note this is a picture heavy post.

There were two exhibits I wanted to see ~

The Obamas Portrait Tour which will be in Brooklyn until October 24th

and the 

Christian Dior Designer of Dreams exhibit that will be in Brooklyn until February 20, 2022.

I took a lot of pictures beginning with my trip across the Manhattan Bridge...

My Uber was stopped at the light and I loved the graffiti

versus fire escape color on this building...

Columns at the Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum is doing timed entrance tickets so our first set of tickets were for The Obama Portraits. I loved that there was biographical information on the artists who painted the portraits, why Michelle chose that dress, and the mediums used to paint the pictures.

We had a short snack and talked and talked while we waited for our timed admittance to the Christian Dior Exhibit. Now I'm going to admit this exhibit made me cry. By the end of it I was so overwhelmed with how it was displayed, the sensory perceptions and the beauty of the garments, that I cried. Thank goodness for masks because no one could see me lose my sh*t!

Wanett and I took a lot of pictures and this is the combination of both of our picture taking efforts. I'm sharing them as they appear in the exhibit with a little commentary thrown in.

This is right as you enter the front 

and it's a quilted textile

I loved that cranberry dress in the middle. If I was still working

in Corporate America, I would be scheming how to interpret it!

The pleated skirt on this dress was awesome!

"The New Look" outfit!

Natalie Portman's Dior Commercial Dress

The next section shared garments by other House of Dior designers.  I only took a few pictures here because so much of this has been shared on social media and in magazines. At this point this still seemed like a regular museum exhibit. A really thorough and well displayed exhibit.

Loved the embroidery and trim on this jacket

This dress was all hand embroidered...it was stunning!

Then you moved into a display organized by color and full of miniatures, shoes, hats, jewelry that was fabulous in the way it was displayed.

Finally we moved into the room where the toiles are displayed. This is the room I've always wanted to see after seeing the pictures of the exhibit online. Because I marveled at the height and number of toiles displayed...

So imagine my shock and surprise when I realized that this effect was achieved by mirrors!

I stood there for five minutes with my jaw hanging open. The use of the mirrors and the optical illusion was everything! I had set my camera to record and someone had to walk up behind me and tell me I wasn't recording. It was because of the effect of the room.

The next room we moved into is the piece de resistance of the exhibit. It was so overwhelming and amazing that I walked around the room twice before I could focus on the garments. The staging in this room is perfection. I've never seen an exhibit like this and if you think I'm spoiling it by sharing all of this, I'm not.  My words can NOT do this room justice.

So some pictures...

I loved this exhibit and stayed here for a minute!

Side/back views of the dresses to show the artistry

I spent the most time in this room and this is where I cried. Even typing this reminds me of the way the exhibit made me feel and I needed to exhale.

The final room shows dresses the stars have worn...and there are decades of them. I'm not sharing them all, just a few of my faves. It was the perfect decompression after the excitement of the previous two rooms.

Grace Kelly & Josephine Baker wore these dresses from left to right

The back of the dress Nicole Kidman wore to the Oscars

Princess Diana wore the blue slip dress

I know I shared a lot and believe me it's not half of the collection. I wasn't a fan of the House of Dior when John Galliano was the head designer so his entire section is missing. Quite a few garments from when Dior himself designed it because I had seen a lot of them.  All of this is to say go and see the exhibit for yourself. IT IS SO WORTH IT. I'm actually determined to see it again before it leaves, it was that good!

Some of these pictures were posted to my Instagram account and quite a few sewists talked about seeing it in London, Paris and Dallas, TX. And how it looks like they're sharing different garments, so if you get a chance, please go and see the exhibit.  It's so worth it!

...as always more later!

A Seersucker Verano Maxi

As you know I loved my denim Verano. It was perfect for early spring and will be wonderful for the fall/winter season too.  However, I really wanted a summer version.  To me one of the best features of this pattern is the number of views offered.  So for my Summer Seersucker version, I'm using the top and full maxi skirt version.

This was one of the projects I took to Sew Camp and finished there.

Supplies ~ 

Yellow striped seersucker given to me by a friend over 20 years ago. It was from her aunt's stash who had passed and she gave it to me knowing that I would use it.  Even though it took a minute, I'm so glad that I finally used this deep stash fabric.

Yellow striped bias binding from Gaylen's notions stash

4 yellow 7/8" buttons from the button collection

Pattern Alterations ~

The other challenge with my original version was the low armholes.  I solved that for fall/winter by wearing t-shirts and turtlenecks under it which worked perfectly. Since I need this one to be sleeveless, I'm altering the front and back bodice piece armholes.

I really like how the armholes fit on my Myosotis bodice.  So that's where I'm starting to get the better fitting armhole for the Verano. Using the Verrano front bodice piece over the front of the Myosotis bodice, I matched center fronts.

* Then I added another inch to the side underarm seam.

* A 1/2" extension to the shoulder seam

* Blended between the two to get a higher underarm seam

I made the same adjustments to the back bodice pieces. Next time I will take a pinch out of the front and back armholes to make them fit just a little closer to my body.

The other change I made is that I did not cut the maxi skirt portion using the pattern pieces. I went with my standard full yard fabric. Which translates to 2 pieces that are 60" wide and 40" long.

Once finished it was too loose.  Now I like loosely fitting bodices but this was loose even for me.  To fix this I added ties to the side and loosely tied them together in the back.

The ties were cut 18" long and 3" wide.  I used 5/8" seam allowances all the way around and inserted them into the side seams using the 5/8" seam.  I wanted them to be long and wide enough to be a statement yet compatible to my bodacious body.

A Few Photos ~

Wearability Report ~

The day I chose to wear the dress to work was a perfect day.  It was a mildly hot summer day and the dress performed perfectly ties and all.  The only change I would make is to make the side slits higher. I cut a lot off the hemline which affected the slits on this one.

I will make another one of these next summer...cause summer is almost over and I have a few more pieces I want to make before it's finally gone!

A Parting Shot ~

My daughter was really into certain spots in the complex during this photo shoot. So she had me climbing the hill to take pics. Of course, the littles were with us!

There's more to share and it will be up on the blog soon...

...as always more later!

Style Arc Jules Tunic Maximized

I know there are people who wear pants/shorts in the summer. Therefore needing matching/coordinating tops. I am not one of those people. I love a long flowing, swishy dress in the summer. From the moment I saw the Jules Tunic, I knew I was always going to make it as a summery maxi dress.

Besides adding 26" to the front and back flounce, lengthening the front facing and making short sleeves for the dress ~ those are literally the only changes I made to this pattern.

Supplies ~

Lemon rayon challis fabric purchased from StyleMaker Fabrics last year

10 7/8" clear with green inset buttons from the button stash 

Interfacing from Steinlauf & Stoeller

Pattern Alterations ~

The only change I made to the pattern was to add length (26 inches) to the skirt front & back. I also lengthened the front facings to match.

Construction Information ~

I made this just as the pattern instructed.  However, when I tried it on once the side seams were sewn because I'm a fit as you sew woman... 

I noticed two things:

1. The lower back seam dipped too low into my behind.

2.  I could sew the side seams at 1/2" instead of the 3/8" the pattern recommends.

• To fix the too low back seam, I measured out 1.5" in the center back pinned and tapered the pinning to the side seams.
• Then I basted it.  After that I double checked that it raised the seam some. 
• It's better but not great.  I really need about another inch but I'm going with this alteration.

Next I repinned the gathers in and stitched it down. Then reassembled the dress. This is not perfect.  The gathers and the fabric hide what's challenging me. When I make this again the front & back bodice pieces need to be altered.

Now I have to admit I made a mistake. If you look really carefully you will notice the side seams are a little wonky. They hang towards the back of the dress instead of hanging straight down the side.  Wanna know why?  Because I sewed the hemline of the back skirt to the back bodice. I discovered it AFTER I had sewn and serged the waist seam.

Talk about a sophomore mistake! This also affected the hang of the hemline! It took several tries and a day of letting it hang to get a halfway decent hem.

A Few Photos ~

Wearability Report ~

I'm now wearing some of my garments before blogging them.  One because I haven't figured out where to take pictures in my apartment. I'm not happy with my options right now...and have no desire to do anything about it. *sigh* So I wore this dress to work a couple of weeks and noticed a few things:

1. The neckline is too low.  I was constantly pulling it up so my bra wouldn't show.

2. It is the PERFECT combination of fit and loose fitting that you need on a hot summer day.

3.  Even though I wasn't thrilled with the length it did work so much better being a little shorter than maxi length.

I did receive quite a few compliments on it and will make it again.  I actually want to make a few of the tunic versions, as well as, another maxi dress or two. This will probably be a favored make next summer. 

There are still items in my cut pile that need to be sewn before the cool weather rolls in. Oh and I'm calling this "My Lemon Dress!"

...as always more later!

Happy National Sewing Month

I know I barely posted in August and it wasn't because I wasn't sewing. Honestly it was because of pictures. Lately, I've been challenged by having to take my own pictures. I don't know why but I can't get out of my head so I've waited for my daughter and August is just a very busy month for her and her family.

I've even gone back to wearing my makes before they're photographed and blogged. Life changes but sewing remains the constant in my life! So be prepared to get a lot of content this month which is totally appropriate since it is National Sewing Month!

There are the three pieces I completed during Sew Camp...

...then a new tunic using one of the panels I purchased from Fabric Mart during Sew Camp here.

From my cut pile I have a Myosotis dress and a Style Arc Hope dress I'd like to work on too.  Now while the Myosotis dresses I've previously made are some of my favorite summer dresses to wear, I've shied away from making more this summer. Simply because I own so many, but the fabric I'm using has begged to become one, so I obliged it. Hopefully I will have a new one to wear to work next week by weekend's end.

Oh yes, my weekend.  My company closed down for a four-day weekend (Friday - Monday) to celebrate Labor Day. I was supposed to attend a wedding this weekend but with Delta ranging and my date being my daughter, she just didn't want to expose herself to any more social situations where she could possibly come in contact with it.  School just started for the littles and she's worried enough about possible exposure and not adding to it.

Okay I digressed - my next project after the Myosotis is the Style Arc Hope Dress.  Birdie has made two great ones, so it's pushed my cut out one to the top of the pile. The last thing I'm contemplating working on is finally finishing this dress. I love the fabric so much and don't want to waste it but the dress is nothing like I imagined.

BTW, even though I haven't been buying much fabric this year, my Sew Camp haul was the largest amount I've purchased in over a year, I did buy a couple of new pieces.  Fall is around the corner and I want to make shirts so the cotton prints will be cut soon.

A cotton bundle of prints purchased from Sew Creative Lounge

Rayon floral print from Sew Much Fabric

This is where I'm starting September.  Thanks for hanging around during my downtime in August. I will be sharing more makes soon!

...as always more later!

      

Sew Camp ~ August 2021

I got home from Sew Camp last Monday and I had an absolute blast! It was so invigorating to meet up with my sewing friends, talk and laugh, watch movies and TV shows together, fabric shop and sew a little bit. 

Sew Camp pre-pandemic was all about the sewing. This one was definitely heavier on the relationships and talking part. It's been awhile since I've seen my Sew Sisters in person and I wanted to drink them in! LOL! I took a lot of pictures so this post is very picture heavy!

Once more this was a private Sew Camp. My friends and I rented out Gaylen's B&B for a four day weekend. Did you know that she did that? I know she advertises it and a couple of other sewists have done it. If you want to spend some quality time in a safe place during these pandemic times, I would definitely reach out to Gaylen.

I left for camp on Thursday morning, headed to Lancaster via Amtrak. I have to say this was one of the nicest trips I've taken on Amtrak because I rode in business class. Loads of legroom, outlets to charge your phone and thankfully 2 seats to myself. 

I did take my Janome 9450QCP to Sew Camp and taking it on Amtrak was really easy. My regular little rolling suitcase is strapped to the top of my Tutto Sewing Machine Case using straps provided in the case. I love this case because not only did my sewing machine fit in but all of my sewing tools and projects fit too. There are so many pockets to place items which makes it a perfect carrier for sewing adventures.

We did base our Sew Camp on previous Sew Camps we've attended.  Everyone arrived on Thursday afternoon/evening/night. Most of us had dinner together and set up our sewing spaces.

Andrea and her Bernina Sewing Machine and Serger

LaQuana sewing on her Janome back-up 

Carol who flew in from Chicago is sewing on the Janome Gaylen keeps on hand

Friday ~

We traveled to Fabric Mart and shopped until we dropped. Fabric gems were purchased by us all.  Carol even came with an empty suitcase to fill, which she did!  

The obligatory shot with our goodies outside of Fabric Mart with Julie

Shopping in the store - so many goodies

Gaylen

LaQuana did not buy this piece!

Gaylen and LaQuana wearing Me-Made

(I may have bought some of that paneled fabric that Gaylen is wearing)

Carol in Me-Made

Julie cutting for the team...

We stopped for lunch at an Italian restaurant that I would like to eat at again. Next was a trip to Cedar Lane Dry Goods Store where we picked up buttons, bias binding and I got another cotton quilting panel print. I'm determined to get another panel print shirt made!

Last stop for the day was the Centerville Bulk Foods store which I highly recommend.  We bought candy, spices, and soup mixes. I've already used the chicken rub on a pan of baked chicken that was gobbled down quickly by me and my granddaughters.  

After that we headed back to the B&B. My fellow sew sisters headed to the Sewing Room after dinner but I did no sewing on Thursday or Friday evenings. I was so tired from my work week that I needed to decompress.

Saturday & Sunday ~

We decided as a group that we were only sewing Saturday and Sunday and not visiting any of the other fabric/notions stores. I mean we did come to sew and along with many conversations, that's what we did.

Q is the Queen of the Selfie and I loved this picture she posted to Instagram

...okay we also watched every episode of Making the Cut Season 2 and a few other movies too while we sewed and chatted.

So what did I sew? While I brought four projects with me, I only worked on two while there. I made another Vogue 9299 tunic and a seersucker version of the Verano dress. When I got home I worked on a maximized version of the Style Arc Jules Tunic.

Carol left Sunday evening. LaQuana left Monday morning and Andrea and I left Monday afternoon. It was THE perfect weekend! I highly encourage you to get your tribe together and plan a weekend. The last scheduled Sew Camp is this week and then Gaylen will release a schedule for 2022.

I will say finishing up these pieces at home sparked my sewjo. My cut pile is calling my name, as well as several of the new pieces of fabric that came home with me. There will be formal blog posts later this month/early September. My daughter has a full August with birthdays and school starting soon for the first time in 18 months.

Parting Shot ~

The granddaughters spent the final days of my vacation with me and I can't believe how much they've grown!

...as always more later!